Heat exchanger



Aug. 13, 1963 F. G. MARRUJO v 3,100,523

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed May 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEQA/Q/VDO 6. WQQZ/JO INVENTOR.

107' 7 OQ/VE 9 United States Patent 3,100,523 HEAT EXCHANGER Fernando G. Marrujo, Montebello, Calif., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 29, 1959, Ser. No. 816,909 Claims. (Cl. 165-160) The present invention relates to heatexchangers of the helical coil type, and more particularly to such a heat exchanger which is extremely simple to manufacture and maintain.

Heretofore it has been the practice to provide heat exchangers including an elongated coil for the flow of fluid to be cooled, which coil is disposed within a housing through which a cooling fluid is circulated. In those applications where the coil is subjected to relatively high order internal pressures, the coolant circulating housing has also been subjected to approximately equally high order pressures in order to offset the internal pressure effect in the coil.

The present invention contemplates a heat exchanger which avoids the necessity :of maintaining high pressure cooling fluid within the housing and which alfords improved means for cooling the coil, with consequent cooling of the fluid circulating through the latter.

In addition, the invention has as an objective the pro- 'vision of a heat exchanger in which the housing may be removed so as to permit ease of cleaning of the cooling fluid path about the heat exchanger coil.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger of the helical coil type in which the coil is supported in an extremely simple manner so as to constrain the same against distortion due to high internal pressure surges, while at the same time providing an eflective cooling flow path through the coil.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described or will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a heat exchanger .made in accordance with the invention, with cerrain of the parts shown in elevation; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view, with a portion broken away and shown in section.

Like reference characters in the views of the drawings and in the following detailed description designate corresponding parts.

Referring first to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the heat exchanger comprises a base generally designated 1, having preferably integrally formed therewith an upstanding tubular or generally cylindrical Wall 2 about its outer periphery. The base 1 supports a bell-like housing 3 having a lower marginal flange 4 adapted to be secured as by fasteners 5 to the outer periphery 6 of the base 1. An appropriate supporting bracket 5a may be secured to the base 1 by means of the fasteners 5 so that the heat exchanger assembly may be appropriately supported in a desired location.

Preferably there is interposed between the flange 4 and the margin 6 of the housing 3 and base 1 respectively, a sealing gasket 7 to prevent the leakage of cooling fluid from within the housing.

The cylindrical wall 2 has an external tapered surface 8, about which is disposed a helically Wound conduit or heat exchanger coil 9. The coil 9 is preferably so wound as to have a section 10 extending generally coaxially of the coil and through a bore 11 centrally of the base 1, this section 10 being effectively sealed in the base by a threaded plug 12 engaged in a tapped tapered opening 13.

The coil 9 leads from the section 10 through a series of coils 14 to a coil section 15 extending substantially parallel to the section 10 and in spaced relation thereto. This section 15 extends through a bore 16 in the base 1, which is adapted as at 17 for the reception of a sealing and retainer plug 18.

Accordingly, fluid to be cooledmay circulate through the coils 14 to and irom the sections 10 and 15 of the heat exchanger coil.

Surrounding the coils 1 4 is a sheet metal sleeve 19 which is retained in contact with the coils 14 by a suitable plurality of encompassing bands or wires 20.

Accordingly it will be noted that between the outer wall 8 of the tubular supporting section 2 and the sleeve 19, a helical flow path 21 is defined by the adjacent coil windings 14. Means are provided for circulating a cooling fluid through this helical flow path 21.

The base 1 is provided with an internal enlargement 22, through which extends a flow passage 23 leading from a threaded opening 24 to the space between the tubular support 2 and the coil constraining sleeve 19. As indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, this passageway 23- constitutes a cooling fluid inlet from which cooling fluid passing into the housing 3 may flow upwardly through the helical flow path 21, so as to be discharged at the upper end of the latter into the housing 3.

Within the tubular support 2 there is a. cooling fluid outlet 25, whereby such cooling fluid is permitted to pass from the housing 3.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the housing 3 may be removed from the base 1 without disturbing the disposition of the coils 14 about the sup porting section 2 of the base. In addition, since the coils 14 are wrapped about a vertical tapered section 8 of the supporting section 2, the constraining sleeve 19, which is correspondingly tapered, may be removed from the coils 14 to permit cleaning of the fluid flow path 21 between the coils '14 in the event that such flow path should be clogged.

Further it will be noted that since the coils 14 are physically cons-trained between the sleeve 19 and the supporting tubular section 2 of the base, it is not necessary that the housing 3 contain cooling fluid under high pressure, or under pressure of such high order as may be circulated through the heat exchanger coil 9.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, changes and alterations may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a base, a housing removably disposed upon said base, said base having a tubular support extending into said housing, a heat exchanger coil having a section extending through said base within said tubular support, a plurality of coils disposed about the tubular support in engagement with said support and a section extending through said base externally of said tubular support, a sleeve surrounding said coils in engagement therewith so as to form with said tubular support a helical cooling fluid flow path leading between said coils, said base having an inlet leading to the space between said tubular support and said sleeve, and an outlet leading from said housing.

2. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet leads through said base within said tubular support.

3. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, including a band embracing said sleeve to constrain the same into engagement with said coils.

4. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular support is provided with an outer wall tapering away from said base.

5. A heat exchanger comprising: a base; a housing re- 3 movably connected to said base; said base having a tubu- 1am support disposed centrally of said housing; a heat exchanger conduit having an end extending through said tubular support and outwardly through said base and an end extending through said base externally of said tubular support, and a section intermediate said ends including coils, disposed about said tubular member in engagement therewith; a sleeve disposed about said tubular support in spaced relation thereto and in engagement with said coils and defining with said coils and said tubular 10 support a helical fluid flow passage; said base having an outlet port and an inlet port leading into the space between said tubular support and said sleeve, whereby a heat transfer fluid may flow into said space and pass References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,954 Rice Ian. 15, 1924 2,446,054 McCullough July 27, 1948 2,668,692 Hammell Feb. 9, 1954 2,736,533 Allen Feb. 28, 1956 2,888,251 Dalin May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,163 Australia Jan. 9, 1958s 

1. A HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING: A BASE, A HOUSING REMOVABLY DISPOSED UPON SAID BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A TUBULAR SUPPORT EXTENDING INTO SAID HOUSING, A HEAT EXCHANGER COIL HAVING A SECTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BASE WITHIN SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF COILS DISPOSED ABOUT THE TUBULAR SUPPORT IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORT AND A SECTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BASE EXTERNALLY OF SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT, A SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID COILS IN ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH SO AS TO FORM WITH SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT A HELICAL COOLING FLUID FLOW PATH LEADING BETWEEN SAID COILS, SAID BASE HAVING AN INLET LEADING TO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT AND SAID SLEEVE, AND AN OUTLET LEADING FROM SAID HOUSING. 